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Code & Deliverynoun · /ˈænti ˈpætərn/

anti-pattern

In simple English

In software development, an anti-pattern is a common approach or coding practice that seems reasonable at first but leads to negative consequences such as poor maintainability, performance issues, or bugs. Teams use this term to warn others away from these problematic practices. For example, using global variables, catching all exceptions without handling them, or creating God Objects are well-known anti-patterns. When engineers discuss code quality and best practices, they often reference anti-patterns as things to avoid. Understanding anti-patterns helps developers recognize bad solutions early and choose better architectural decisions instead.

Understanding what anti-patterns are and how to recognize and avoid them in your code.

At a glanceCEFR C1
Commonness4/5
Versatility4/5
FormalityCasualFormalNeutral
Spoken ↔ WrittenSpokenWrittenBoth
Directness ↔ DiplomaticDirectDiplomaticDirect
RegionUS and UK
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Say it like this

✓That is a classic anti-pattern.
✓We should avoid this anti-pattern in our codebase.
✓This code smells like an anti-pattern to me.

Real examples

in a code review

"I think using a God Object here is an anti-pattern. Can we break this class into smaller, more focused components?"

in a team meeting

"We need to refactor this module because it exhibits the anti-pattern of catching all exceptions without proper handling."

in a standup

"The authentication system currently uses global variables, which is a known anti-pattern we should fix next sprint."

Don't say this

Handle with care. Anti-pattern is not a verb. Do not say 'we anti-patterned the code.' It describes a solution, not an action to take.

✕We need to anti-pattern this code before deployment.
✓We need to refactor this code because it contains an anti-pattern.— Anti-pattern is a noun describing a problem, not a verb describing an action. You identify or avoid anti-patterns, not perform them.
✕Using design patterns is the same as avoiding anti-patterns.
✓Using design patterns helps prevent anti-patterns, but they are not the same thing.— Design patterns are proven solutions; anti-patterns are proven problems. One is what to do; the other is what to avoid.

Other forms

noun

anti-pattern

"The tight coupling in this module is a classic anti-pattern."

noun (plural)

anti-patterns

"We documented five common anti-patterns in our style guide."

adjective

anti-pattern (attributive)

"This is anti-pattern code that needs refactoring."

Often used with

classic anti-patternUsed to describe a well-known, frequently-seen anti-pattern.
common anti-patternUsed to describe anti-patterns that occur frequently in projects.
avoid an anti-patternTo prevent using a known problematic solution.
recognize an anti-patternTo identify when code exhibits anti-pattern characteristics.
anti-pattern exampleA specific instance of how an anti-pattern appears in code.

Similar words

code smellBroader term for any suspicious code; anti-pattern is more specific about repeating bad solutions.
bad practiceGeneral term; anti-pattern specifically refers to recurring, documented bad practices.

Opposites

design patternbest practice

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Practice

Try it

4 quick exercises

Pick the most natural phrasing

1. Your colleague wrote code with tight coupling. What do you say?

Complete the sentence

2. Using global variables is considered a common _______ in modern software engineering.

Spot the mistake

3. Which sentence uses 'anti-pattern' incorrectly?

Rewrite naturally

4. Rewrite using 'anti-pattern': 'This way of writing the code is bad because many people do it wrong and it causes problems later.'

Questions

Quick poll

Have you said "anti-pattern" in a standup this week?

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